Comfort Dogs Sent To Newtown From Chicago Area To Help Community After Sandy Hook Shooting (PHOTOS)

One day after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, a group of golden retrievers from the Chicago area made a cross-country journey to comfort the affected community in Newtown.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Lutheran Church Charities sent approximately 10 dogs for grieving residents to pet while speaking to or praying with the animals’ caretakers. The initiative aims to provide a bridge after a difficult event like Friday’s shootings, which left 20 children, seven adults and the gunman dead.

“Dogs are nonjudgmental. They are loving. They are accepting of anyone,” said Tim Hetzner, the organization’s president. “It creates the atmosphere for people to share.”